All opinions expressed in this article are those of the person quoted and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the other team members or ESC United as a whole.
Ireland are 1-2 since returning to a national selection on a special edition of RTE’s The Late Late Show in 2022, with Bambie Thug’s 6th place finish last year vindication (of sorts) for the format.
Can Ireland repeat the trick in 2025 with one of the six acts assembled tonight? We at ESC United reviewed the six acts to see who we think should represent Ireland at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
On today’s ESC United, we have the following writers:
- Boris Meersman (Belgium)
- David Popescu (Denmark)
- James Maude (USA)
- Jasmin Prišć (Croatia)
- Rebecca Green (Australia)
- Roy Postema (The Netherlands)
- Sam Siegal (USA)
And with further ado, here are the six Irish hopefuls and what we thought of them.
Adgy – “Run into the Night”
Boris – 5.5 – “A jolly fiddle barely disguises the sterile Scandinavian build-up in this faux-ethnopop vehicle. Where are the anti-septic claims now, James? WHERE ARE THEY NOW?! That said, Eurosong IE is a fairly nothingburger affair. I could have manifested appreciation for “Run into the night” if the UTD forum hadn’t reminded me that Adgy -in the words of one of the Irishmen there- Can’t Sing For Toffee.”
David – 7 – “I’m gonna be unorthodox and say that I would love to see Ireland pick something that sounds this traditionally local. This is something that feels so Irish, that you don’t even question it. It’s a tad slow maybe, but it is melodically joyful to just wither away to the sounds of the fiddles. Hopefully Adgy has practiced his singing since 2023.”
James – 7.5 – “The adage “sometimes less is more” applies here in that Adgy has succeeded in it. It starts off chill, then layers a fiddle on top of a beat and Adgy sings about the euphoria his lover brings him. The simple, expansive track matches the way Adgy feels, giving you the feeling of looking at the horizon, at limitless possibilities. Those who want more drama will be missing the point – the soundscape and the lyrics suggest a man at peace and free.”
Jasmin – 5 – “This is a pleasant radio song but it is too safe to leave an impact. I find it quite generic and predictable. It didn’t catch my interest.”
Rebecca – 7 – “This is so lovely. Adgy has a beautiful voice, and I love the threads of Irish folk music wrapped around a modern-produced beat. It has great variations through the whole song, so while the general structure is verse-chorus repeated twice I don’t feel bored at all. The high notes at the end are a magnificent cherry on top. Just simple and satisfying and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Its biggest weakness is its simplicity however, and this could easily get buried in the semi-final. What can it do to make itself stand out? Remains to be seen, if anything, but I generally think it would be a huge risk to send this.”
Roy – 8 – “For me this is the best track of the selection. The violin is the powerhouse in this song. It really hammers home this song. Besides it is a great poptune buildup towards the instrumental breakdown. It reminds me of Joci Papai’s ‘Az en Apam’. Just slightly more polished up. Just like that performance I can picture Adgy being accompanied by one or two dancers and a violinist. The pair would dance to it with a lot of flair showing off the clarity and serenity of the song while the violinist will give it a nice bit of authenticity. There is massive potential in this song and I hope Adgy can unlock it.”
Sam – 6 – “I’ve said it before: put a fiddle in a song, any song, and you’ve got my attention. Unfortunately, it’s the best thing about this song, which starts off promising but doesn’t quite reach its potential. Maybe the live performance will change my mind?”
Total: 46 points (Average = 6.57)
Bobbi Arlo – “Powerplay”
Boris – 8 – “At a glance, a repeat of last year with diminishing returns. In reality, “Powerplay” is much more viable as song than “Doomsday Blue” was – it’s a smooth, feisty hyperpop anthem, like a present-day reimagination of Kylie Minogue. And as “Padam-Padam“ spread itself around the gay circles like the Great Dancing Plague of 1518 despite its mediocrity, I see no reason why Bobbi wouldn’t become a fan favourite if she can nail the vocals. The issue is that Bobbi appears like a Bambie with even worse media training. Whether she matches Bambie’s ambition remains yet to be seen.”
David – 2 – “This is mostly just noise. The music is obviously focused on being powerful in sound, to make an impression, my problem is, there’s nothing here that makes me remember the song. Melodically messy, lyrically unimpressive and vocally quite dull. There’s just nothing that captivates me over the course of the song.”
James – 9 – “In Eurovision national selections there are invariably a dozen “self-empowerment” songs of various types, almost all of them failing as the lyrics are fairly impersonal and the underlying track insipid. Bobbi makes no so much mistake. Bobbi goes hard. Aggressive lyrics, aggressive techno. You believe it when she says she has the power. With Bambie Thug, Ireland created a lane for itself with quirky and aggressive music that goes for the throat. Ireland could make a powerplay at Eurovision 2025 by sending Bobbi down that lane.”
Jasmin – 7.5 – “This will either come to life live or fall apart completely. I enjoy the edgy energy and I don’t mind somewhat spoken singing in this entry, it fits the energy of the song. The baby voice bothers me a little bit. It serves as a nice contrast to the music, however, more edgy and deeper vocal would elevate this further.”
Rebecca – 8 – “Such a strong electronic sound, I really love the almost tinny-sounding synth because it gives it a cool, retro feeling without making it dated. I just wanna jam out while this is on! The concept of a powerplay is great and leaves so many options for incredible, unique staging. Also towards the end I’m PRETTY sure Bobbi says “fee fi fo fum” which is SO SILLY but works SO GODDAMN WELL. Probably my biggest praise for this is how authentic it feels—too often we see artists watering down their sound to be more “palatable” for a Eurovision audience, and frankly, it never works. Don’t ever discount how much people enjoy watching an artist who is simply doing what they love, in the way they love it. It worked for Bambi last year, and it’s working for Bobbi this year.”
Roy – 7.5 – “Going off of last year’s success, this would be a great follow up. It’s an interesting song with many details and openings for a great dancy performance. If Bobbi can pull it off without losing out on a decent vocal, this could be seen as a refined ‘Samo Mi Se Spava’. Dancers are required and the energy needs to be on point as well. I got faith Bobbi can pull it off and could get Ireland into the Grand Final for a second year in a row again.”
Sam – 6.5 – “This song sounds like something twelve-year-old me would have discovered on Myspace in 2007 and used as my profile song to seem cool and edgy. Which is to say, I like it. It’s not pushing any boundaries – it may even re-start Ireland’s NQ streak at Eurovision – but it’s a bop nonetheless.”
Total: 48.5 points (Average = 6.93)
Emmy – “Laika Party”
Boris – 1.5 – “What is the fuck’s GOING ON in Norway? Why are their awful flops popping up all over Europe like we’re in an elk flu pandemic? Anyway, imagine having your selection double as an asylum seekers’ centre for a MGP reject, when you know what the state of MGP is like this year. “Laika Party” is ‘like a party’ but it’s spelled “Laika” because it’s about the DOG IN SPACE hahaha ::loses all will to live:: I didn’t survive the vile KEiiNO last year to be subjected to more damn’ diggity dogshit in Ireland as well.”
David – 3 – “I’m somehow reminded of early 2000’s music with this piece. It sounds like a promising song, but something that hit me quite fast was how it just felt like the song is being sung in the wrong tone. Maybe if it’s done in a slightly deeper voice, then the connection would’ve been there. Eventually, the melody gets to me, since it’s very much the same throughout the entirety of the song.”
James – 1 – “A dated sounding novelty dance song performed by a Norwegian mercenary about the dog that the Soviet Union’s space program roasted alive. Emmy can f&%$ off to the moon for the “Laika / Like a” word play alone. If she brings up a lot of Soviet imagery during her stage show, that will be in poor taste and likely to incur the wrath of most of the Eastern bloc who are still recovering from communism. I don’t know what Emmy is doing at Eurosong, and I don’t know what Laika did to deserve such an awful tribute. I dread to think what she has lined up for NASA’s space monkeys.”
Jasmin – 5 – “Many people have a song dedicated to them but I didn’t expect Laika will get one. If we remove the gimmick behind it, the song is meh, repetitive and simple. Bonus points for the creativity and the camp moment. However, even in the 90s, this would hold up with the competition.”
Rebecca – 5 – “Sticks out like a sore thumb in this lineup—I’ve heard every man and his dog (pun perhaps intended) say that this sounds very obviously Norwegian, and really, they’re right. Is this bad? Nah. It’s catchy, and to be fair it’s biggest downfall is that it makes me think about a dead space dog and then I get kind of sad instead of partying. Do I think it’s a good choice for Ireland to send? Definitely not. Irish music and artists and producers have so much to offer, so why send something that is, in every way, not Irish?”
Roy – 3 – “This is just a bit tasteless. Trying to pull of a pun on the back of an iconic animal in history. The beat is fun, but these lyrics are just plain stupid. The badadam dam doesn’t add much of interest either. It is a deeply unserious song with cheap lyrics. The skeleton of the song is decent, but I can’t wrap my head around who thought it was a good idea to make Laika the topic of the song. You could’ve sung about anything and the song would have been fun and acceptable, but no.. Very disappointing.”
Sam – 6.5 – “Boris calls this “brain rot;” I call it essential to the Eurovision ecosystem. Every year needs a couple weird entries to balance out the navel-gazey ballads, and this song is delightfully weird. I went into this selection blind, so points for making me genuinely laugh out loud when I realized I was indeed listening to a full-throated club anthem tribute to Laika, the poor dog that the Soviets sent to space. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Irish send Emmy to Eurovision.”
Total: 25 points (Average = 3.57)
Niyl – “Growth”
Boris – 6.5 – “Can’t say I’ve heard many things like “Growth” in Eurovision selections, and maybe that’s a good thing? I’m not sure what to think about this alternative lo-fi number – it’s VERY heavy on the polyphonic vocalization, that appears to be achieved via a vocal looper. If done well, this could be a thing. If most of the vocalizations are pre-recorded though, it could be a very lazy nothing. We’ll have to wait and see, but I’ll be cautiously optimistic. It’s no t like I have much else to root for here.”
David – 4 – “It’s a song that I could get used to, but as a first impression, I guess it’s decent enough. I do enjoy this dark tone, which develops as we progress through the song, but eventually the vocals drown it down a bit too much. I’m not quite sold on the potential of the performance that there can be for this style of song.”
James – 8.5 – “A marvelous synthesis of the modern and the traditional, the epic and the personal, our place in the grand scheme (“Universe! Chemical!”). It’s unmistakably Irish, but it doesn’t ham it up. It’s philosophical without being pretentious. It’s a small intimate moment expressing grandeur. The staging might be tricky as it has to walk the same tightrope thematically that the track and the lyrics pull off. This is one that could that can live or die by one small detail in staging.”
Jasmin – 7 – “Lyrics might be a bit poor here but I like the arrangement and all the high notes at the end of the song. With a proper staging this could be something but on the national final level, not sure it can do anything impressive at Eurovision. Last minute of the song sounded slightly mediaeval because of the wailing (lacking a better word to describe it) and that’s my favorite part of the song.”
Rebecca – 8.5 – “The word that comes to mind when I listen to this is “visceral.” The layering of the instrumentals is just superb. The pulsing beat makes you close your eyes and lean in without realising, and then suddenly you’re surrounded by a sensory wall of noise that just pounds right into your chest. The harmonies are just another great addition that add some more texture into the sound, some high notes to contrast the deep, thumping beat. I could listen to this on repeat forever, honestly. I worry that this will sound like a bit of a mess when performed live, but oh boy I hope I’m proven wrong.”
Roy – 6 – “Niyl has a great voice. The song builds nicely and I could picture it being played on the radio. Nice driving drums, but it lacks the punch that you would ideally want at Eurovision. While I am confident Niyl would deliver a great vocal performance, this type of song doesn’t have the best of track record. It is stageable however and maybe they could unlock the potential this song has with a great staging. I’m afraid I don’t trust the Irish delegation that much yet and can only judge this song on face value. Decent tune for a good album or radioplay, maybe not for Eurovision.”
Sam – 3 – “The obligatory Imagine Dragons tribute. The lyrics consist of the same eight words sung in different combinations. It’s fine but a bit bland.”
Total: 43.5 points (Average = 6.21)
Reylta – “Fire”
Boris – 7 – “Reylta is a phonetic spelling of Réalta which means Star in Irish, and that’s an apt pseudonym to bring a song called “Fire”. It’s a modest but charming composition that – as its lyrics state – doesn’t overstep, overthink, overlook. Nothing that will get high marks on many rankings before the live, but the song lends itself to be elevated via a strong vocal performance.”
David – 2 – “I’m not sold on the overall composition here. It’s quite slow and low on the ground, until then we hit the chorus, where the energy just bursts from both performer, as well as the song itself. It also loses me with the switch in style over the melody, where it just doesn’t blend that well. Just not much here that impresses me.”
James – 7.5 – “Another minimalist blend of traditional and modern executed well. This one has better staging potential than “Growth,” in that traditional Irish imagery won’t appear too corny here. It’s an understated entry, one that grows and sneaks up in you. You’ll find yourself bellowing “fire!” at various points during the day, which is surprisingly for how low key it is.”
Jasmin – 5.5 – “This song confuses me and it’s all over the place. I lack a proper rhythm and everything seems a bit random. The vocal is good and I hope with the live performance I will understand this song more. At this point, it’s just middling with a potential to go up if the presentation is unique and if it reflects what the song is trying to tell me. Lyrics are quite poetic, just random words assembled under the common theme, it doesn’t connect with me at the moment.”
Rebecca – 6 – “I want to like this a lot more than I do. It’s very moody and Celtic, and I get Miriam Stockley-esque vibes from it. The choruses are just a bit too flat and underwhelming given the great buildup that the verses give us. I think they need a little more variation in them to hit harder. It’s a pleasant release of the tension right now, but I want it to be chilling and exciting, if that makes sense. On that note, I actually think it’s incredibly powerful at the end when the music cuts out but they keep singing. There’s definitely options for a bigger impact, Reylta and the team just need to find them!”
Roy – 7 – “This has a lot of potential! A intimate staging with good cameracuts is necessary for it to really come across. Reylta got a really good voice and the drums when she sings ‘fire’ could be used nicely to get a pulsating visual on the Eurovision stage. Yet at the end of the song, I keep longing for more. It is a bit too repetitive with only Fire being used as the main word. That being said I think a great performance is awaiting us. With the right tribal-like costumes and elements, it could really be a visual feast. Interesting prospect and I wouldn’t mind Ireland taking this risk.”
Sam – 7 – “This bears a lot of similarity to Alika’s “Bridges” (Estonia 2023) but with some interesting folk elements. The chorus could be very impactful live if she can pull it off vocally (as much as anyone can pull off anything vocally on The Late Late Show set). If only I had a clue as to what her Eurovision staging would be…”
Total: 42 points (Average = 6.00)
Samantha Mumba – “My Way”
Boris – 3.5 – “I sometimes struggle to understand people. Samantha desperately wants to go to Eurovision, then gives us a song that is half-baked or overbaked, depending on perspective. “My way” SOUNDS like an abandoned attempt to create a Gaelic Rhapsody, but she’s not the Queen in this scenario. Am I myopic for not seeing the vision and joining David in the “this song has too many elements and is too much of a mess” chants? “My Way” seemingly can’t decide what it wants to be and who it wants to appeal to. I don’t WANT to make that decision for it either, so my opinion curdles into mild dislike.”
David – 2 – “Powerful vocal, but what was everything else? Really hard to remember, and I get that the song goes with a build-up, but it’s quite long, which eventually doesn’t take me anywhere personally. Indeed, it becomes far more up-tempo, but I’m still expecting more, while lyrically, I’m not sure what’s gone on… generally very confusing. Then there’s the ending, which is… very out of place.”
James – 4 – “If by her way Samantha Mumba means a slightly restless nap followed by cacophonous din, then she has indeed managed that. It takes forever to get going with some attempt at grand, sweeping epic orchestration, much like her dreadful early-00s movie “The Time Machine,” and when the percussion comes in, and she declares she’s finally doing it her way, the effect is a fizzle rather than fireworks. Her vocals should have been more declarative, the percussion much more pronounced. It just falls flat.”
Jasmin – 7.5 – “I see the potential in this one. Definitely the most dramatic of all entries and many people will be drawn to it. The folk elements add so much to this, hopefully they will use that advantage well. The harmonies are nice, the vocal sounds strong enough… it’s not wow but it’s the best of the bunch in my opinion.”
Rebecca – 4 – “To be honest I’m just not understanding this one. I don’t hear the cohesion and it leaves me kind of scratching my head, because it feels like when I’m not in on a joke that everyone else gets. I like the harmonies and the buildup over the whole song, but I’m just… not really getting what it’s trying to do beyond that. It just sounds like noise to me.”
Roy – 2 – “What a bloody mess.. The production of this song is one of the worst I have heard all season. Her voice is nice, but so much bad is happening. You initially think it might build to something big, but when she starts with the ‘my way’ bit it really starts to shine through that they had no idea what they were doing. They just throw in a lot of vocal tracks together with about 8 different instrumental tracks. Add on top of that 4 different fades and 6 vocal effects on the same voice. All we are left with is a hot mess without identity or cohesion…”
Sam – 4 – “Samantha declares herself untamable, but this extremely tepid song isn’t convincing evidence. Miley did It better.”
Total: 27 points (Average = 3.86)
ESC United thinks, on aggregate, that Bobby Arlo should take “Powerplay” to Basel, Switzerland. Below are our final rankings:
- Bobbi Arlo – “Powerplay” – 48.5 points (Average = 6.93)
- Adgy – “Run into the Night” – 46 points (Average = 6.57)
- Niyl – “Growth” – 43.5 points (Average = 6.21)
- Reylta – “Fire” – 42 points (Average = 6.00)
- Samantha Mumba – “My Way” – 27 points (Average = 3.86)
- Emmy – “Laika Party” – 25 points (Average = 3.57)
Who do #YOU think should win Eurosong 2025 and represent Ireland at Eurovision 2025? Let us know in the comments below, on our social media, or in our forum.
